las key



UNTTED STATES PATENT @Trina JOHN H. LASKEY, or BoSToN, MASsAoHUsnTTs, AssieNoa or onu-HALF To IsAAo F. DoBsoN, or 'SAME rLAon. f

SLEEPING-CAR.

.SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters EPatent No. 265,615, dated October 10, 1882. Application led Augfust 25, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. LASKEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sleeping-Gars; and l do hereby declare that the same are fully de scribed in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

The object of this invention is to simplify 1o and eheapen sleeping-cars, and especially to lessen the weight of such cars and the waste of space therein due to the mode of construction of the berths and mattresses commonly adopted. v

My improvements include featuresA specially adapted to use as a lower berth, and others designed particularly for the upper berth of the same section. rlhe lower couch is a canvas or other iiexible fabric hooked by a bar at one of its ends and stretched over the cushions of two adjacent seats, being secured at its other end to a roller beneath one of the seats and held tightly strained in a horizontal position by a pawl and a ratchet on the roller end. The fabric thus has an elastic hammock action, supported, as it is, at each end by the springs of a seat-cushion. The upper-berth bottom is composed of a series ot' crossing pivoted slats arranged to draw out from a recess in the side of the car, so as to support the bedding. The slats are themselves supported by a sheltl at each end, which shelf is hinged to the vertical partition, and has one or more swinging brackets to sust-ain it in a horizontal position. The partitions which give this support are upheld by a hook or other device from the ceiling and by a spring-holt at the top of the seat-back.

ln the drawings, Figure l is a front elevation ot' the upper and lower berths of a sleeping-ear constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section ot' the same at or, Fig. l; and Fig. 3 is a plan ofthe upper-berth bottom spread for use with the adjacent parts iu horizontal section.

A A represent the seats arranged to face each other, as is usual in sleeping-cars.

B B are boxes under the seats, and utilized for storage of bedding.

(l is a roller located in the upper outer cor-y ner of .one of the boxes, just beneath the rear edge ot'theseat-cushion. This rolleris mounted in bearings, in which it may revolve, and has a ratchet-wheel, D, at one end with which a pawl, E, engages. The outer end of the shaft ofthe roller is iliade square to receive a crank by which it may be rotated.

Theroller U has coiled upon it in the box B a canvas or other ilexiblerfabric, F, of su'fiicientl width to constitute a support for the inat- 6o tress and bedding. The inner end of this fabric is secured tothe roller, and the opposite end is provided with a cross bar or head,'H, to eny tress and bedding.

` forced along its front edge, it' desired.

gage with hooks I, located in the angle ot the opposite seat A, or with some equivalent devices, so that the fabric F may be stretched' over the two seat-cushions and the space between them to receive and support the mat- The fabric may be re-en- 7o In this way a cheap, light, and most compact bed-bottom is provided, utilizing the springs of the seat-cushions to give-elasticity to the bed, but without moving or in any way disturbing-the cushions of the seat or back or re` 75 baggage, &c.

quiring lany transverse central support. lhis arrangement also gives an increased amount of space beneath the middle ofthe bed for l propose to' employ instead ot' the bulky 8o mattresses and pillows generally' used air-bags ofsuitable size and shape, made ofsome strong impervious material, and provided with an air inlet'and exit controlled by a cock or valve,

so that the bags 'may he inliated with a be'l- 85 lows or otherwise, and used iu that condition as a bed and as pillows, and be readily collapsed when desired to roll up and pack in small compass beneath one of the seats. Besides the economy ot' spaoe,weight, and origi- 9o ual expense, these beds and pillows willbe found most comfortably cool, and they are specially adapted for use ou railway-cars, since the compressed air they contain does not trailsmit to the occupant ot' the bed thejars due to 95 the movements ot' the train.

The backs of the seats form suitable barriers between the adjacent lower berths, and have within or between them a recess or cavity of suitable dimensions to receive a broad and roo strong partition,L,preferabl y ot' wood,adapted to serve when raised up as a support for as well as partition between the adjacent upper berths. This partition is shown as supported in part by a hook, M, from the ceiling, and by one or more spring-bolts, N, at the lower edge concealed in the upper edge of the seat-back.

The partition L carries on each side a. hinged shelf, O, supported iu ahorizontal position, when required, by brackets P, hinged vertically to the partition and swinging out at right'angles thereto beneath the shelf for its support, but, like the shelf, adapted to fold flat against or into a recess in the partition, so as to drop with it into the cavity between the seat-backs when desired.

Each shelf O may be further supported at its front end by an oblique hanger, Q, pivoted to the shelf end and engaging by a long slot with a stud or pin on a casting on the front edge of the partition L.

lt is obvious that other lneans of supporting the bed-bottom may be adopted.

S S are slats, preferably of elastic steel, pivoted together, as shown, so that they can be drawn out to rest upon the shelves O t'or'use, as in Fig. 3, or closed one above another into a recess, t, during the day, as indicated in Fig. 2. In order that they may fold in this way, and also that they may re-enforce each other between their supported ends, I pivot one end of the first or b ottom slat to the side ot' the car, the next slat above the first near one of its ends, and beneath the third slat near its other end, and so on, as will be clear from Fig. 3. The ends of the outer or uppermost slats may be secured in position for use by pins and slots, or in any convenient manner, and the end ot' the lowermost of two pivoted slats may rest in a depression in the shelf, if desired, so as to have a support for each and hold them in position. I provide for the upper berth a front piece, T, which rests edgewise on the shelves between the partitions L, and is held in position by any efficient means. 'hen the slats are folded into the recess It the front piece, T, placed before them has the appearance ot' an ornamental finish for the side of the car, covering and concealing the slats. These slats, recess, and front piece, T, may also be applied for `the lower berth.

\Vindows \V are provided,as usual, adjacent to the seats, and I also furnish windows W to give light in the upper berths.

Between the windows I form for each berth as a permanent fixture in the building of the car, and concealed in or flush with the side thereof, a small safe, pocket, or receptacle, V, for valuables, so that the passenger on retiring may without risk deposit therein money, jewelry, eine., and lock the same securely. I make these safes of wrought or cast metal and secure them between the walls of the car so that nothing but the door is visible, and I tinish that to correspond with the adjacent parts of the ear, making the device as unobtrusive as possible. claim such safes, since an improved form thereof is fully set forth in another patent granted to lne simultaneously herewith.

I am aware that a slide dropping between seat-backs has been employed as a partition between upper berths, but not provided with the attachments for supporting said berths which my invention contemplates. Stats and iiexible sheets have also been used for berthbottoms in various combinations other than those originated by me. Hence I do not claim said devices, broadly; but

I claim as of my invention- I. The described berth for sleeping -ears, consisting of the flexible fabric F, stretched across and resting at its ends upon the yielding seat-cushions while in their normal positions, so as to receive elastic support from the springs thereof and to leave the space beneath the fabric and between the seats free for the storage of baggage, substantially as set forth.

2. The partitions L, each provided with the hinged shelves 0, brackets l), and hangers Q, in combination with the folding slats S, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The upper-berth bottom herein described, consisting of crossing pivoted slats, suitably supported when spread for use, in combination with the recess .l-t, to receive the folded slats, and the front piece, T, to conceal them when not inuse.

In testimony whereof l hereto affix my signature in presence ot' two witnesses.

JOIIN II. LASKEY.

Witnesses:

A. H. SPENCER., W. 1). Tnavun.

I do not, however, at this time' 

